A new image showing off the make-up process endured by Dwayne Johnson on the set of "Hercules: The Thracian Wars". Directed by Brett Ratner and also starring Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, John Hurt and Rebecca Ferguson. Opens on July 25, 2014.

The first two images from Atom Egoyan's new film "Devil’s Knot" based on the true story of the West Memphis 3 case, in which three teenagers were wrongfully accused of committing the murder of three children during an alleged satanic ritual in the 1990s. The film stars Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Dane DeHaan, Mireille Enos, Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas, Stephen Moyer, Alessandro Nivola and Amy Ryan. "Devil's Knot" will open at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013.

The first trailer and poster for the comedy "Ass Backwards" have been released online. The film is directed by Chris Nelson and it stars Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael (both also wrote the film) as two childhood best friends who first met at a beauty pageant where they placed last. Now, all grown up and lost in their small time big city lives, the two receive an invitation to return to their hometown to attend an anniversary pageant. They both set off on a journey to reclaim their crown which leads to a series of strange encounters. Also starring Alicia Silverstone, Jon Cryer, Vincent D’Onofrio, Brian Geraghty, Bob Odenkirk, Paul Scheer and Sandy Martin, "Ass Backwards" will be available on VOD on September 30th and in theaters on November 8th.

Principal Photography has commenced on the thriller "Dark Places" starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult. The film, which is written and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner ("Sarah's Key", "Les jolies choses"), is an adaptation of a Gillian Flynn novel and tells the story of a woman (Theron) who survived the brutal killing of her family at the age of 7 and is forced years later to confront the events of that day by a secret society obsessed with solving notorious crimes. Also starring Christina Hendricks, Corey Stoll ("House of Cards"), Tye Sheridan ("Mud"), Sterling Jerins ("World War Z") and Shannon Kook ("The Conjuring"), "Dark Places" is scheduled for release on September 1, 2014. Here is the official press release:

DARK PLACES tells the story of Libby Day (Theron), a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer. Twenty-five years later, a group obsessed with solving notorious crimes confronts her with questions about the horrific event. Told in a series of flashbacks from the points of view of Libby’s mother, Patty, and her brother, Ben, Libby is forced to revisit that fateful day and begins to question what exactly she saw - or didn’t see - the night of the tragedy.

Rounding out the cast alongside Theron, Hoult, Moretz, Hendricks, Toll and Sheridan are supporting cast members Sterling Jerins (WORLD WAR Z, THE CONJURING) who will play Young Libby and Shannon Kook (THE CONJURING).

The novel Dark Places was published in 2009 and was listed on The New York Times Best Seller List for more than 25 weeks. The book was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and won the Dark Scribe Magazine Black Quill Award for Dark Genre Novel of the Year. Gillian Flynn is one of today’s leading suspense writers with her current novel, Gone Girl, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the hardcover fiction best-seller list of The New York Times. Gone Girl has sold more than two million copies in print and digital formats.

Charlize Theron is repped by WME, Moretz is repped by WME and 3 Art, Hoult is repped by UTA and 42 and Christina Hendricks is repped by Kritzer Levine Wilkins Griffin Nilon Entertainment and ICM, Corey Stoll is repped by WME, Shannon Kook is repped by DBA and Gary Goddard & Associates, Tye Sheridan is repped by Mosaic and WME, Sterling Jerins is repped by ICM Partners, Principle Entertainment, and Bloom Hergott Diemer, LLP, and Andrea Roth is repped by Domain Talent and Industry Entertainment."

A red band trailer and two new equally R-rated clips have been released for the horror comedy "Hell Baby". Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant ("Night at The Museum", "Reno 911!: Miami") wrote and directed this story of a young couple, Jack (Rob Corddry) and his pregnant wife, Vanessa (Leslie Bibb), who move into a haunted house. When the wife becomes possessed, their only hope is a team of Italian exorcists (Garant and Lennon). "Hell Baby" opens in theaters on September 6, 2013 (limited) and will be available on iTunes on July 25th.

Matt Damon has joined the all-star cast of writer/director Christopher Nolan's sci-fi adventure "Interstellar". The film's story centers on "a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.". Damon will only play a minor role, so he'll only be filming for two weeks in Iceland. The identity of Damon's character has not been disclosed and the same goes for the rest of the cast. "Interstellar" also stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn, Wes Bentley, David Oyelowo and Michael Caine. The release date has been set for November 7, 2014.

A new trailer and red band clip have been released for the drama "Adore" (formerly "Two Mothers"). The film stars Naomi Watts and Robin Wright as two mothers and long time friends who fall in love with each other's sons. Based on a novella by Doris Lessing and directed by Anne Fontaine ("Coco Before Chanel"), "Adore" will receive a limited release in theaters on September 6, 2013.

The first behind-the-scenes featurette and an IMAX banner poster for the sci-fi sequel "Riddick" have been released. Action star Vin Diesel and director David Twohy ("Pitch Black", "Chronicles of Riddick") discuss the Riddick trilogy a bit and then the featurette provides us with brief glimpses of new footage and some insight into the story. Also starring Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff and Dave Bautista, "Riddick" opens on September 6, 2013.

We have the trailer and two new clips for the 3D concert movie/documentary "One Direction: This is Us". Providing the usual mix of live concert footage and behind-the-scenes insight, the film documents the meteoric rise to fame of the English-Irish pop boy band One Direction, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London's famed O2 Arena. And for the fans, the film also provides the premiere of their latest single "Best Song Ever" from their upcoming album. "One Direction: This is Us" opened in the UK on August 29, 2013 and it opens today in the US.

Marvel has released an extended TV spot and two new character posters for "Thor: The Dark World". Loki steps down as lead villain in this sequel. The new villain is Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), the leader of the Dark Elves. Also starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Christopher Eccleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins and directed by Alan Taylor ("Game of Thrones"), "Thor: The Dark World" opens on November 8, 2013.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Marvel has announced that veteran actor and three-time Emmy award winner James Spader ("Boston Legal", "The Practice") will star in Joss Whedon's "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" as the villain Ultron. Since the character is a humanoid robot, Spader will provide Ultron's voice. The film is still gathering its cast and so far we know that Elizabeth Olsen is in talks to play Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been tapped to star as her brother Quicksilver. Tom Hiddleston has confirmed that Loki will not appear in the Marvel sequel. "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" will open on May 1, 2015. Here is the official press release announcing James Spader's casting:

"James Spader will face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the villain in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the sequel to 2012’s record-breaking “Marvel’s The Avengers.” The Emmy Award-winning actor will play Ultron in the Avengers’ much anticipated return to the big screen from writer/director Joss Whedon. The film comes to theaters on May 1, 2015.

Spader earned three Emmy Awards for his role as Alan Shore on “Boston Legal” and “The Practice,” and will return to television this fall in NBC’s highly anticipated series “The Blacklist.” Most recently Spader was seen in the critically-acclaimed film “Lincoln” directed by Steven Spielberg and has previously worked with a long list of accomplished film directors including David Cronenberg, Curtis Hansen, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols, Tim Robbins, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone. David Mamet also directed Spader in the Broadway play Race.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” will bring the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes together again to face one of their biggest villains, with “Marvel’s The Avengers” director Joss Whedon returning to write and direct the sequel. “Marvel’s The Avengers” was released in 2012 and went on to earn $1.5 billion worldwide, making it the third-largest grossing movie of all time.

Spader is represented by ICM Partners and his lawyer Melanie Cook at Ziffren Brittenham."

A new featurette released for the dystopian thriller "Divergent" explains the various factions of the future depicted in the film and features interviews with Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet and Theo James. Woodley stars as a teenager (Shailene Woodley) who discovers that she is a Divergent, a person who will never fit into any of the five factions created by society based on the main groups of personalities . Facing extermination, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous. Also starring Kate Winslet, Theo James, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q and Mekhi Phifer, "Divergent" opens in theaters on March 21, 2014.

The first trailer and poster for the horror film "We Are What We Are" have been released. The film is a remake of a Mexican film and premiered this year at Sundance to rave reviews. The story centers on the Parkers, a seemingly wholesome family who hide a terrible secret. When a torrential rainstorm moves into the area, tragedy strikes and their secret is about to be revealed. Starring Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Kelly McGillis, Nick Damici and Wyatt Russell, "We Are What We Are" will open in a limited release on September 27, 2013.

A japanese trailer and poster have been released for the fantasy actioner "47 Ronin". Keanu Reeves stars as an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of 47 outcast samurai, in a quest for vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. Carl Rinsch directs from a script by Chris Morgan ("Fast & Furious 6") and Hossein Amini ("Drive"). Also starring Tadanobu Asano, Kô Shibasaki and Rinko Kikuchi, "47 Ronin" opens on December 25, 2013.

Jessica Alba ("Sin City") has joined the cast of the comedy "Barely Lethal" directed by Kyle Newman ("Fanboys"). The story centers on a teenage assassin (Hailee Steinfeld) who is hunted by a former associate after she fakes her own death and enrols in a suburban high school. Alba is set to star as the film's villain who pursues the teenager. "Barely Lethal" also stars Samuel L Jackson and will commence production on October 17th. Jessica Alba can also be seen in the upcoming releases "A.C.O.D.", "Stretch", "Sin City: A Dame To Kill For", "Dear Eleanor" and the IFC mini-series "The Spoils Of Babylon".

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Three new teaser trailers have been released for the new season of Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" which is subtitled "Coven". The events in the new episodes will take place in New Orleans across several time periods, and witchcraft will be the main focus of the story. Series newcomer Kathy Bates will play real life serial killer Madam LaLaurie from the 1800s and Angela Bassett will star as a character loosely based on voodoo practicioner Marie Laveau. "American Horror Story: Coven" stars Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Denis O’Hare, Alexandra Breckenridge, Patti LuPone, Gabourey Sidibe, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy and Lily Rabe. The new season will premiere on FX Wednesday, October 9th.

An exclusive movie clip has been released for the drama "Prisoners" (via MTV). Hugh Jackman stars as a man whose 6-year-old daughter is kidnapped and takes matters into his own hands when the police is unable to find any leads and release their only suspect (Paul Dano). Directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") the film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo and Viola Davis. "Prisoners" opens on September 20, 2013.

Three new movie clips and the complete B-Roll for "Riddick" have been released. Vin Diesel returns as the antihero Riddick, who in this sequel has been left for dead on a desert planet. He must now fight to survive against both the planet's alien predators and ruthless mercenaries. The film is directed by David Twohy ("Pitch Black") and also stars Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff and Dave Bautista. "Riddick" opens on September 6, 2013.

The first trailer and poster for the true story drama "Dallas Buyers Club" have been released. Matthew McConaughey stars as Texas electrician Ron Woodroof, an ordinary man who is diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. Since medications were still restricted in the US, Ron turned to smuggling and establishes a “buyers club” for fellow HIV-positive people, giving them access to his supplies. The film also stars Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Denis O’Hare and Bradford Cox. "Dallas Buyers Club" opens on November 1, 2013.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The full teaser trailer for the sci-fi thriller "Divergent" has been released along with an infographic image.
In the future, people are divided into factions based on personality. A teenager (Shailene Woodley) discovers that is a Divergent, a person who will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she sets out on a quest to discover why society is so afraid of Divergents. The infographic image depicts all five factions based on human personalities. The film is based on Veronica Roth's novel of the same name and also stars Kate Winslet, Theo James, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q and Mekhi Phifer. Directed by Neil Burger ("Limitless"), "Divergent" opens in theaters on March 21, 2014.

Three movie clips and a behind-the-scenes featurette have been released for Luc Besson's action comedy "The Family". Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron and John D'Leo star as a mob family relocated to France as part of the witness protection program. Soon enough they go back to doing what they do best. "The Family" is executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and also stars Tommy Lee Jones. The release date is September 13, 2013.

Monday, August 26, 2013

This post contains all the news, trailers, movie clips, DVD/Blu-Ray releases and many more, that you may have missed in the last seven days, arranged in an accessible manner. Just browse and click the article titles you want to read. Read the full article to check out the weekly summary.

Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose", "The Dark Knight Rises") has signed on to star in a new adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Cotillard will replace Natalie Portman for the role of Lady Macbeth. The adaptation is directed by Justin Kurzel ("Snowtown") and written by Todd Louiso & Jacob Koskoff ("The Marc Pease Experience"). Michael Fassbender is set to play the lead role of Macbeth, a Scottish general who becomes the King of Scotland through murder and ends up becoming a tyrant consumed by guilt and paranoia who commits murder after murder to protect himself. The movie has been described as taking a "visceral approach to the story including significant battle scenes."Iain Canning & Emile Sherman ("The King's Speech") will produce the project and production is set to begin at the end of the year with shooting scheduled for January 2014 in the UK.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

It was a weekend of surprises. The biggest of them all was that the drama "Lee Daniels' The Butler" managed to stay in first place. The film, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, grossed $17 million this weekend, beating out three new wide releases. The film has reached a total of $52 million in 10 days, well over its $30 million budget. The R-rated comedy "We're the Millers" also performed well, holding its ground in second place and closing in on the $100 million milestone.

"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" starring Lily Collins and Jonathan Rhys Meyers came in third with $9.3 million in its debut weekend and $14 million over its first 5 days. The film cost $60 million to make, so the current gross is disappointing, especially considering that the studio was expecting fans of the book to show up and boost the numbers.

"The World's End", the final chapter in the Cornetto trilogy ("Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz"), failed to attract an audience. The sci-fi comedy opened at #4 with $8.9 million, but fared much better overseas earning an additional $16 million. The film had a production budget of $20 million, so as far as costs go, it's in the safe zone and turning a profit.

The highly acclaimed home-invasion horror "You're Next" also failed to cash in on the hype and opened at #7 with $7 million. On a positive note, it's still better than many indie flicks hope to achieve and will probably go on to develop a following and will perform much better on home video.

Lionsgate has announced that "The Expendables 3" has commenced principal photography in Bulgaria through an official press release which also offers some definitive details about the production. As previously announced, Mel Gibson will star as the villain, an old partner of Barney Ross' (Sylvester Stallone) who seeks revenge. The press release also confirms the presence of franchise newcomers Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz and Ronda Rousey. But, there's no mention of other big names like Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, Milla Jovovich and Mickey Rourke, who were reported to be on board. Anyway, "The Expendables 3" opens on August 15, 2014. Until then, here is the official press release:

"SANTA MONICA, CA (August 19, 2013) – Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Millennium Films will begin principal photography today on THE EXPENDABLES 3, the third installment of THE EXPENDABLES action-thriller franchise, with production shooting on location in Bulgaria and at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia.

Patrick Hughes (RED HILL) will direct the film, with veteran Dan Bradley (The BOURNE franchise; MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, QUANTUM OF SOLACE) directing the second unit. THE EXPENDABLES 3 is written by Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt, who previously teamed on OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, and Sylvester Stallone. Avi Lerner, Kevin King-Templeton, Danny Lerner and Les Weldon are producing THE EXPENDABLES 3. Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and John Thompson are executive producing. Lionsgate will release THE EXPENDABLES 3 in North America and the UK on August 15, 2014.

In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

The production will be overseen by Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan.

The first two installments of THE EXPENDABLES have grossed nearly $600 million in combined global box office."

"Crazy Heart" director Scott Cooper will replace Ben Affleck as the writer and director of the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand". Affleck was forced to drop out after Warner Bros. announced that he would star as Batman in the upcoming "Man of Steel" sequel. The feature film adaptation has been in production for over two years. At one point, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" director David Yates was interested in taking over the project. King's novel has been adapted once before in 1994 as a TV mini-series. This is probably one of the major issues that the big screen version must overcome: the length. Read a review of the TV movie here.

Rambo lives again. Although rumors about a fifth movie in the franchise have been floating around since 2008's "Rambo", it seems that the fierce warrior will return in a TV series which will be produced by Entertainment One and Nu Image. Sylvester Stallone will not be involved in this new series according to his reps:

"While a television series based on the Rambo property is in development with Entertainment One and Nu Image, contrary to reports, Sylvester Stallone will certainly not reprise his role as the iconic John Rambo for the small screen."

Last year's surprise-hit action film "Act of Valor" will get a sequel. The new film will focus on a team of elite SWAT officers. Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh will return to produce the sequel and Scott Wiper ("The Condemned") will write and direct. It's safe to assume that "Act of Valor 2" will continue the trend set by the first film of casting real-life operatives and shoot in a realistic manner.

A new international trailer and poster for the sex-addict dramedy "Thanks for Sharing" have been released. Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Alecia Moore (Pink) and Tim Robbins star as sex addicts facing recovery and trying to achieve a sense of normality. Written and directed by Stuart Blumberg, the co-writer of "The Kids Are All Right", "Thanks for Sharing" opens on September 20, 2013.

Thai martial artist Tony Jaa ("Ong-bak") has joined the cast of "Fast & Furious 7". This will be Jaa's english-language debut. Details about his role have not been revealed. The sequel will be directed by James Wan ("Saw", "The Conjuring"). Besides returning cast members Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson, "Fast & Furious 7" will also feature MMA champion Ronda Rousey and Jason Statham. Filming begins next month and the release date has been set for July 11, 2014. Here is what Tony Jaa had to say about starring in the sequel:

"I have been a big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise. The films are fast paced, fun and keep the audience involved. There is a great mix of humor and action, something I really appreciate. There is no better film to be involved in for a first U.S. studio production. Having a chance to work with Vin Diesel and The Rock already makes me a winner."